Protect your pets during the holidays and all year long.  Watch out for the following:

•  Holiday sweets, especially those with chocolate. All chocolate, but especially unsweetened baking chocolate, can be poisonous to many animals. Symptoms of ingestion of chocolate may include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, and increased thirst, urination and heart rate.

• Stay with the normal diet for your pet. Any change of diet may give your pet severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals that have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements.

• Don't give pets holiday leftovers. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages. Greasy, spicy and fatty for spoiled foods can cause stomach upset and moldy foods could cause tremors or seizures.

• Do not give your pet alcohol.  If ingested, the animal could become very sick and weak and may go into a coma.

• Keep aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers away from pets. They can cause vomiting and intestinal blockage.

• Be careful with floral arrangements.  Many types of lillies can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested. 

• Common Yuletide plants such as mistletoe and holly berries can be toxic to pets. Ingesting mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. Holly can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and lethargy if ingested.

• Yeast Dough.  Uncooked yeast dough, if ingested can rise in the stomach and cause severe abdominal pain bloating, vomiting, disorientation and depression.

• Nicotine: Tobacco products can be fatal to pets if ingested and can result in excitation, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Muscle weakness, twitching, depression, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest can follow.

• Coffee: Contains caffeine which is a stimulant and depending on the dose ingested, stimulation, restlessness, increased heart rate, tremors, or seizures could occur.

• Macadamia Nuts: If ingested can cause muscular weakness, depression, vomiting, disorientation, tremors, abdominal pain and muscle stiffness in dogs.

• Grapes and Raisins: Several pets have allegedly developed kidney failure after ingesting grapes or raisins.  Veterinary toxicologists are currently investigating these cases. 
  

• Poinsettias are mildly toxic. They are very low in toxicity, however, they could cause mild vomiting or nausea if ingested.

• Christmas tree water may contain dangerous fertilizers.  Stagnant tree water can also act as a breeding ground for bacteria and if ingested a pet could end up with nausea and diarrhea.

• Decorate your tree with animal safe ornaments such as dried non-toxic flowers, wood, fabric or pinecones. If ingested, ribbons or tinsel can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction. This is a very common problem with kittens.